1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to Internet Protocol telephony, and more particularly to a system and a method for utilizing inbound, dial-up modem pools to deliver store-and-forward facsimiles.
2. Description of the Related Art
The transmission of a facsimile (fax), from one fax machine to another, using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a common activity. Studies suggest that an average Fortune 500 company incurs a cost of about $15 million each year for sending faxes over the PSTN. Additionally, reports estimate that the worldwide, long-distance fax bill in 1997 amounted to $30 billion. However, the use of the Internet can significantly reduce the cost of long-distance faxing. The Internet is the well-known electronic communications network that connects computer networks around the world. The savings in the cost of long-distance faxing are realized by using the Internet for transmittal over the long-distance portion of the route, and using the PSTN only to complete the transmission locally.
With the adoption of international standards, high quality faxing via the Internet has become a reality. A significant development has been the adoption of the standard for transferring fax data via the Internet using the “store-and-forward protocol,” i.e., the T.37 standard of the International Telecommunication Union. The T.37 standard allows the commingling of corporate and fax-service-provider equipment and networks to provide local fax server coverage anywhere in the world. One aspect of the T.37 standard is that, unlike real-time faxing, delivery of a store-and-forward fax can be delayed until a transmission line becomes available.
Generally, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) make available the hardware and software needed for accessing the Internet. One typical manner of accessing the Internet is known as dial-up access. Dial-up access refers to connecting a device (e.g., a personal computer) to a computer network (e.g., the Internet) via a modem that accesses the Internet through a public telephone network. In order to meet surging demand for access to the Internet, ISPs have invested substantial amounts of capital in “dial-up modem pools.” A modem pool typically includes a group of modems that is shared by the ISP's subscribers. Generally, an end user connects to a dial-up modem pool of the ISP, then the ISP connects the end user to the Internet. However, the recent emergence of other links, such as broadband, Internet-access technology, is threatening to make existing local dial-up modem pools obsolete, or at least largely underutilized.
There is, thus, a need for a method of and a system for implementing the “store-and-forward” protocol utilizing the inbound, dial-up modem pools of ISPs.